Women's Golf 2nd After 1st Day of SSC Championships

Taylor Babcock shot 2-over 74 in the opening round, and four Bucs were in the 70s to anchor a second-place spot among the team leaders at the SSC Championships. Photo by Joel Auerbach

DADE CITY, Fla. -- Barry University's No. 6-ranked women's golf team shot 309 in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Championships Sunday. The Buccaneers are second, trailing first-round leader Nova Southeastern by six strokes entering Monday's second round.

Barry senior Taylor Babcock shot a 2-over 74 on the 6,140-yard Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club course. Babcock is tied for third with Nova's Liliana Cammisa on the individual leaderboard, one stroke behind co-leaders Jessica Bradley of Lynn and Barbara Vejlupkova of Florida Southern.

Babcock had three birdies in the opening round, all of them coming on par-4 holes. Her 74 matched a season-low, which she's shot on six occasions in the 10 events she's competed in since the fall.

Bucs teammates Nancy Vergara and Maria Paola Fiorio each shot 78, and are tied for 11th. Daniela Murray shot 79, and is 18th. Nicky Ferre shot 86 in the opening round. Vergara birdied the par-5, 511-yard 11th hole. Fiorio sank a birdie putt on the 379-yard, par-4 5th. Murray birdied the par-5, 518-yard 13th when she drew to even par with five holes to play in her opening round.

Rollins and Florida Southern are tied for third, four strokes behind the Buccaneers. Nova's Linnea Johansson shot 75, and is fifth on the leaderboard.

The tournament runs through Tuesday. This marks the first year the SSC Championships are spread out over a three-day period with one round each day.